High protein. Gluten, refined sugar, butter and oil free. You can have your carrot cake and eat it too – guilt free! Trade glutinous flour (and a poochy tummy) for reduced fat coconut and white cannellini beans. Eliminate refined sugar using surprise natural sweeteners:  dates, molasses and calorie free Stevia. Finally, the natural healthy fats in additional eggs eliminate the need for butter.  Between the beans, eggs and walnuts, you’ll score 5 grams of protein per slice!

Carrot CakeCAKE INGREDIENTS
1 15oz can white cannellini beans
1 cup pitted dates (about 10-12 dates) * See Baking with Dates
5 egg whites 2 yolks
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Stevia
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (wet ginger in a jar works too. Avoid the powder!)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1tsp cinnamon & 1 tsp cloves)
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 cups shredded carrots
½ cup unsweetened diced pineapple
½ cup fresh rinsed cranberries (or frozen and defrosted)
¼ cup unsalted walnut pieces
½ cup unsweetened reduced fat shredded coconut
Try Let’s Do…Organic! Brand at Whole Foods or Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Organic-Reduced-Shredded/dp/B000F4D5I0
Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe below)

CAKE DIRECTIONS
Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×9 inch pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Open can of beans and pour into a strainer. Rinse beans in water until water runs clean. Place beans into food processor or blender. Add pitted dates, egg whites and yolks, vanilla extract and ginger. Process on high for a minute or 2 until the beany matter no longer remains. Add baking soda & baking powder and process again until mixed. Pour batter into bowl and gently fold in remaining ingredients with wooden spoon. After all ingredients are mixed, pour into prepared pan. Bake in center of oven for 30-45 minutes. (It takes longer to bake since it is such a dense cake). Do a “Toothpick Test” at 30 minutes, inserting toothpick in center of cake. Continue baking until nothing sticks to toothpick. Allow cake to cool at least 15 minutes before you dive in, or an hour if icing.

FROSTING INGREDIENTS
1 8oz tub whipped light cream cheese
1/2 tsp powdered stevia
1 tbsp vanilla extract

 

Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sugar Cholesterol
Healthy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 197 23 8 8 12 48
Traditional Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 280 29 18 3 21 45

 

FROSTING DIRECTIONS
Quickly make the easiest frosting in the world while cake bakes. Fold stevia and vanilla into whipped cream cheese Bundt Cakegently, so as to maintain fluffy texture. Cover and refrigerate until cake is cooled and ready to be iced. After icing, choose to sprinkle ¼ cup walnuts and/or coconut on top for decoration.

For Carrot Cupcakes – spray or line muffin tin and fill cups 2/3 full of batter. Bake 12-15 minutes.

For a Bundt Cake – spray tin with buttery baking spray. Double cake recipe and bake 50-60 minutes.  Toothpick check at 40 minutes. No need to double frosting recipe. Instead, microwave frosting for 15 seconds, stir, and add 10 more seconds if needed to get it just liquid enough to pour over cake as pictured on right.